Remedy
by Jimmy the Gothic Egg
Summary: AU. Nothing interesting ever happened, even at a carnival filled with freaks. That is, until he came along.
1. Predictions

I can't not type this up, so, even though I've got Phases going, I'm going to start a new fanfic. I was going to save this for after I was done, but then I realized how that wasn't going to happen. If I don't post it now, it'll never get posted.

This was first written between midnight and 1 a.m. this morning. Bare with me.

**Summary: **AU. Nothing interesting ever happened, even at a carnival filled with freaks. That is, until he came along.

**Disclaimer: **I think I got the idea for this when thinking about The Wolfman. Either way, I don't own any of the characters that you recognize. Which will probably be all of them. Good for you.

**Pairings:** This will mostly focus on Keiko/Akira, but, as always, I shall make sure to add in tiny bits of Mitsuru/Mahiru.

_Eheu! There is no title!_

**Chapter 1: Predictions**

'KEIKO HIMURA' was not what the sign said on her small yet comfortable caravan. Neither did it say 'FREAK' or 'WITCH' (though either would've been fine.)

'PSYCHIC' is what it said, clear as day for anyone with half-a-brain or less to come in and get less than their money's worth of a fortune.

It wasn't that she _wasn't_ a psychic; that part was true. But everyone expected her to look at a person and tell them their future ("Next! Ten dollars in the pot. Let's see now…" followed by lots of hmm-ing and "Oh my"s.) But there was more to it than that. She was lucky if she got a flash of someone's future when she was conscious.

It was mostly girls with their pretty boyfriends. They asked for love fortunes, waiting with eager faces. More often than not she told them they'd have twenty-three-and-a-half children together. (The men would leave looking terrified while the girls clapped their hands in glee.)

Keiko had found herself bored. She could hang out with demon-summoners, chant with real witches, party with the best of the freaks, and speak to the dead, and she was bored.

Of course, there was Hokuto.

He owned the whole damn thing and it ran perfectly. She wouldn't have minded him if it weren't for the fact that he was obsessed with her. When he wasn't fixing problems he was making her life worse. Often she got angry with him. One time, he asked for a fortune (with that sly little grin and that knowing voice guys use to get you into bed with them) and she told him she saw him spending a long time in hell. He hadn't backed off.

* * *

It was her off-time when he first came. She'd never worn the whole gypsy outfit, but she always wore flowing skirts and hippie-ish shirts to go with them (if you didn't look somewhat hippie-ish, they didn't believe you.) Right before she left her caravan (switching the sign to 'OUT' and locking the door) she would pull on a pair of jeans to wear under the skirt, making it slightly more bearable.

She was over by Jack's, the man who could pull anything out of everything and performed the most believable magic tricks, buying cotton candy when he showed up. She sensed him first, a jovial spirit with an optimistic outlook, overshadowed by something dark. When she turned to see who stood out so prominently in the crowd, she noticed him immediately.

Scruffy brown hair with an enthused look. His eyes were downcast worry, but you could tell he was happy to be there. He had a pretty young blond girl in tow. She seemed determined and equally worried, yet equally happy.

Keiko had no idea why, but she was entranced by the stranger. So she did what she'd never done before.

Keiko Himura, the woman who disdains everything, especially romance in any kind of setting, was going to hit on a guy.

The blond hardly noticed her as she walked up. She whispered something to the boy and ran off in another direction.

Keiko stood in front of the man, a hand on her hip, her expression more smirk than smile, and said, "Want your fortune told?"

The man stopped and gave her a startled look. "I don't…"

She then did another first: she spoke (of her own free will) in gypsy talk.

"You interest me," she said, keeping her eyes level with his, "I'll do it for free."

He still seemed a bit anxious. "I really shouldn't…"

"It'll take five minutes, tops," she said, "Don't you want to know what your future holds?"

The one thing that no one could resist. The only reason people paid good money for face fortunes. _They_ many not know what's in store for them (the scariest thing ever when pointed out), but _she_ did.

"I guess… five minutes couldn't hurt."

She smiled and motioned for him to follow. They weaved through the crowd until they reached her caravan. She unlocked the door and led him inside, pleased with how his eyes lit up when he noticed the many clichéd fortune-teller items.

"Don't be fooled," she said, motioning her hands over various objects. "Half of them are fake. No one believes you unless you have a crystal ball, a potion's wall, and three sets of tarot cards." She sat down in the overstuffed chair she used for fortune reading. "Give me your hand."

He held it out timidly, as if afraid she might hurt him. "Does that really work?" he asked.

"There's a science behind it, but I mostly do it for show. By the way, I never caught your name."

"Akira Yamabuki. I thought you were supposed to be psychic."

"I am. It's a common misconception that psychics know everything. But I do know you travel with a pretty blond woman."

"How'd you know?"

"She ran off before I could meet the lovely lade. Are you two a couple or am I being nosy?"

He smiled. "I should learn your name before you get to know about my personal life."

"Keiko Himura." She released his wrist and looked up at him. "Your love life looks good, you'll live long, and whatever that last thing was…"

"I think its wealth."

"…Oh yeah. That's not looking so good."

"How long is the circus in town?"

"We're here for another five days before we move onto the next town. We'll be back in about three-to-six months. A year at the most."

"I'll have to bring Mahiru by before you're gone."

"Mahiru?"

"The pretty blond girl. And, no, we're not a couple. See ya around, Keiko."

She watched him leave. Casually, she went outside to let the world know her cotton candy break had been interrupted and she was back for exploitation.

Though… Maybe being a psychic wasn't all bad.

* * *

Nighttime fell with relative ease upon the campground. Keiko lit a few lanterns and pulled out a book. A full moon was out and she could practically taste the magic from the coven next door. She submerged beneath the warm sheets and sighed happily. It had been a good day…

And the spell of the perfect evening was broken by a horrified scream.

**Author(ess) Notes:**

Chapter 1 and I'm already doing cliffies. Go me.

There aren't enough Keiko-centered fanfics out there. So here you go. Don't worry, all our favorite characters will make their way into the story fairly quickly.

What I really want to write is a Mitsuru/Mahiru/Nozomu triangle. That would be fun.

Anyway, **review please.**


	2. Life Gets Weirder

I would've updated sooner, but six weeks into the school year and the days just start to blur together.

It was mentioned that Keiko did not have her powers in someone's review. Untrue. She has her powers, but in her current job she is forced to exploit it, which is hard to do with power that is hard to control.

_Still No Title_

**Chapter 2: Life Gets Weird(er)**

Keiko stirred her coffee lazily. Nearly nine in the morning and the fairway was packed. Ten people had come in before eight when she was dressed in an oversized t-shirt and sweatpants. Nine had gone away crying. The tenth had gotten his money refunded when she threw the crystal ball at him.

She had at least six spares, so it didn't really matter that much.

By nine she'd changed into a green skirt and a violet top. By ten she knew she'd need to exchange the coffee for tea.

Last night the female Katsura twin had found Mutsura Hayashi mauled. His face had been scratched out and his side was split open, letting his insides flow out. Hokuto had passed it off as an animal attack and buried Mutsura with a proper (but quick) burial. He'd then proclaimed the dead were dead and the next day would still be open.

The door clattered open and Keiko looked up. It was the blond girl she'd seen Akira with. Where was Akira?

"You're Mahiru," she said.

The blond smiled and took the seat across from her. "You really are psychic."

"Akira told me your name yesterday."

Mahiru's smile dimmed. "I wanted to ask you something about Akira."

"Go ahead, though you probably know more about him than I do."

"I was wondering if you… This is gonna song ultra-weird, but did you _sense_ something from him?"

"What do you mean?" This girl was starting to weird her out, and she lived with a family of freaks.

"Like… Anything out of the ordinary?"

"Er, no… He seemed fairly normal to me."

"Okay, thanks." She got up quickly and hurried to leave.

"Wait a second. Why would I sense anything weird from Akira?"

"Oh. No reason. Just…" Mahiru stopped and sighed. "I need to get back, so let me make this quick. Was there a death last night?"

"Yeah. How did you-"

"I'm just making sure it had nothing to do with Akira."

And the door closed behind her.

* * *

Keiko had taken the day off. It would piss of Hokuto, but that was only a bonus. All she wanted to do was sit around in normal clothes like a normal person for one day.

It was the usual crowd: similarly dressed people there to gawk at the freaks. A few people really stood out, but their intention was the same. It was the beginning of the weekend, so a band was getting ready for the nightly parties. Scents from the various stalls rose up and covered the fairground. If she could bottle the scent she would sell it as perfume and make millions.

Keiko purchased a few sugar-filled treats and watched the people go by. That lasted about five minutes before she began wandering between caravans, seeing what she could see.

It was between the Creepy Snake Guy's tent and the Girl Who Can Speak to the Dead's caravan that she saw the blond. She was speaking with a short man with large glasses that she recognized as Misoka Asagico, manager or something of that sort. Wondering exactly what business Mahiru would have with him, she crept in to do some eavesdropping.

"…not the first time," Misoka said. "Why are you so upset over this?"

"I don't know," Mahiru answered. "He said the guy attacked him."

"Do you suppose there are more?"

"He came from the camp, right? I don't want Mitsuru hurting anyone else."

"He does seem to have an overzealous nature. Perhaps you should stay with him. You do seem to calm him down fairly well."

"I'm going to go back now. Are you coming tonight or do you have to stay here?"

"Staying here. I suppose it'll be hard to keep the guys away, but try."

Mahiru gave a little wave and ran off.

For some odd reason, Keiko followed.

* * *

The woods surrounding the campground were thick, but Keiko could see clearly the path Mahiru had taken. She continued on it until she could hear distinct voices. Then she stopped and listened.

She could see Mahiru , her arms crossed and a frown her face. She was facing a tree where Keiko could barely make out a figure sitting in the branches.

"This is all your fault, you know," she said sternly.

The figure jumped down, revealing an aqua-haired boy with intense brown eyes.

"I don't see how it's _my_ fault," he answered.

"You killed a human!"

Keiko gasped and stepped back. Was this the guy who had killed Mutsura?

The boy straightened, gazing around with his tawny eyes. "There's someone else here."

"What? Really?" Mahiru looked around, confused.

And Keiko ran away.

It wasn't until she was within the safety of her caravan that Keiko stopped running.

Her life was weird enough already.

Why did it have to get any freakier?

**Author(ess) Notes:  
**This is really an update as I please story. You'll learn to live with that.

Not quite as long as the last chapter, but I felt like updating. So I did. Deal.

**Reviews anyone?**


	3. Investigations

_No Title Yet. Seriously. How Hard Is It to Think Up a Title? Apparently Hard._

**Chapter 3: Investigations**

Music blared as Keiko returned to the campground. The band was practicing a few head-bangers, though they would start with a ballad or something like that.

"You're looking a bit frazzled," a voice said as she stepped out of the caravan.

Hokuto stood at the bottom of the stairs, his arms crossed. She was in no mood for games, but, by the look on his face, neither was he.

"What do you want?" she asked crossly.

"You were out all day," he answered, "I was worried."

"Sweet," she muttered sarcastically.

"A few detectives were around today."

She started and turned to face him. "Why would there be detectives running around?"

"I'm not completely sure." Hokuto placed an arm around her shoulder and she shrugged him off. "I have a hunch it's to do with Mutsura's death. Someone might've said more than he needed about that."

"Why would they be interested in an animal attack?"

"There has seemed to be a rash of so called 'animal attacks,' and they have reason to believe it might not be what we thought."

"Whatever," she stopped at the food stand and motioned to the vendor. He recognized her and grabbed a soda for her.

"Right then. If they ask any questions-"

"I'll tell them what I know, or at least what you told me. You're not trying to hide anything, are you?" She patted him on the head and took her soda.

He frowned. Something crashed on the stage and he turned with a groan.

"These guys are as incompetent as they are bad," he sighed and ran off.

Keiko sipped her soda and watched him go. So maybe she knew more than anyone else did. Apparently the guy Mahiru had been talking to was not stingy on who he killed. Still, if a bunch of detectives were asking questions, she wasn't quite sure on how she felt about that. And an investigation would hold up the carnival for a while longer, especially if murder was suspected.

A crowd had gathered now, mostly teens in black or the occasional 'normal' person considering sticking around to see what the band was like. The biggest crowd was on Saturday, though Friday's group was usually decent, though when they played on Sunday a few people came, unless it was summer, and the same couple hundred came every day to prove they could party. Drinking was prohibited, but that didn't mean a bunch of underage teenagers would sneak in stolen alcohol and get themselves drunk. Still, it brought in plenty of business, and a little extra money was never a bad thing.

The band was bound to cast a glamour to make themselves sound better. No one would like them otherwise. (How do you think Britney Spears or NSync got so big?) They could do it discretely enough: a quick symbol over the mike and across their mouths. No one would notice it. Unless of course someone had a defense against a glamour set up, but that was unlikely. No one believed in magick anymore, even if they paid ten bucks for their fortune to be told.

In the midst of her thoughts, she noticed the detectives. They were doing a pitiful job of blending in with the crowd; they wore large brown trench coats and wide hats as if they were in an old 50s mystery. Even if they'd just worn black coats instead they would've blended in better, as almost every gothic male in the crowd had a black leather (or not) trench coat in which they either pretended to or actually did hide bottles of beer in.

There were two detectives, or at least that's how many she saw. The tall one looked gruff and unshaven while the shorter seemed younger and more apprehensive of their position. Perhaps he could see how easily they stood out while the other continued on, regarding every person with a suspicious glance.

They walked straight up to her.

"Can I help you?" she asked with strained politeness.

"You work here?" the taller one said.

"Yes, I'm the psychic. Is there something you need?"

"We're here to inquire about the death of Mutsura Hayashi."

"Might I learn your names first? I'd like to identify who I'm speaking with."

"Alright then. I'm Detective Kimiteru Kusakabe, and this is my partner Youhei Nishino."

"Lovely," she muttered under her breath. This man probably didn't know the meaning of tactfulness. "What do you need to know?"

"Anything," the detective said, "We've gotten no leads on who might've murdered him."

"Have you considered the possibility," she said almost too politely, "that you just have an animal problem?"

The detective frowned. "Listen here," he started angrily, "Do you think I'm an idiot? There's been too many of these so called 'animal attacks' for it to be just a stray wolf."

"A pack of wolves then," she offered with a smile.

"Look, you little-"

"What my partner means to _say_," Nishino interjected quickly, "is that it's only been as of late that these attacks have been popping up. And most of them were too close to villages for them to be animal attacks. If a wolf is gonna attack it's going to be in its territory which is most likely been moved if it's near a settlement."

"Makes sense," Keiko mused, "But have you considered the possibility that these nearby villages have caused a great decline in food source causing them to braver so they venture closer to the villages?"

"I didn't come here to be lectured on the behavior of wild animals," Detective Kusakabe growled. "What do you know about Mutsura Hayashi death?"

"Oh, nothing you haven't already heard," she smiled, "I need to be off. Nice talking with you, detective." With a faux wave she walked off, leaving the detective to stew in his frustration.

The band, having fixed everything, struck up a mellow-sounding song, and a few of the gathered crowd began to sway to the tune. Keiko sighed and attempted to avoid the crowd on her way to the next concession stand. As she squirmed through a particularly gothic group, she came face-to-face with Akira.

She stopped dead in her tracks.

"Uh, hey," she said uncertainly.

"Yo," he muttered. His usual cheerfulness seemed dampened by something. (She couldn't imagine what.)

"You here to listen to the band play?" she asked. Her mind was forcing her to make small talk. Why? Why did she even bother with herself?

He smiled softly. "We had to sneak out. Couldn't resist. Mahiru's keeping us on a tight leash…"

She couldn't imagine who the 'us' was if not Mahiru? But she could imagine him with a leash around his neck and possibly cute puppy dog ears and a tail. Quickly she shook the thoughts from her head, blushing slightly.

"Um, I have to…" she pointed behind him and he blinked, quickly stepping out of the way.

"See ya 'round then," he said, waving and walked off.

Keiko groaned and hit her head with the palm of her hand. This would bug her for forever. (Knowledge could never be taken away, and unsure knowledge was the worst of its kind.)

She raised her hands and got a glance of the detectives working their way through the crowds.

Maybe… Maybe it wouldn't hurt to start an investigation of her own.

**Author(ess) Notes:**

That should whet your appetite for what's to come. Plenty of excitement ahead. Who else do I need to add?

Akira on a leash… /drool/

So, yeah, there's chapter three. Hopefully I can get a move on for the exciting parts.


End file.
